


Gremlin & Immolation

by amethystangel228 (whitedragonpriestess228)



Series: The Shadow Risers [2]
Category: DC Animated Universe, DC Elseworlds, DCU, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Adult/Child Friendship, Asexual Character, Demons, Devils, Drunk person POV, Gen, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Kindness from strangers, Mentioned Murder, Mentioned connection to the DCU, Metahumans, Original Character(s), Original Character-centric, Otherwise fanfiction involving my OCs, Swearing, Uncomfortable imagery, Unreliable Narrator, Vomiting, hangovers, lots of them - Freeform, pop culture references
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-06
Updated: 2016-07-10
Packaged: 2018-07-21 20:49:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7403854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whitedragonpriestess228/pseuds/amethystangel228
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Angie Aimes gets the surprise of a lifetime stumbling home from her nightly trip to the bar.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Fwoosh

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own DC Comics or anything therein.  
> Claimer: Cedar Creek is mine, as are the two surrounding towns Leona & McElroy. The Shadow Risers, Gremlin, Immolation, & Flag are mine. Their villains are mine unless otherwise stated.
> 
> For the record, I am amethystangel228 from DeviantArt, which is where I originally posted these.  
> http://amethystangel228.deviantart.com/

It was too late for Angie to be wandering home from a bar all alone; it was also way too hot to be walking home. Seriously, since when was it this hot and humid at the beginning of June? The combination of heat and booze made the blocks between Rooster's Bar and her apartment just stretch out unendingly. All of this compounded in her head and demanded she take a bus or train home. Hell, if those experimental airships were still running this late, she'd take one of those crazy things! She giggled aloud at the thought and stumbled a bit on her next step, wheeling into an alley in an attempt to catch herself. This one happened to lead into a parking lot behind some buildings, no cars in sight...but there were voices? 'Don't do it, Angie...' her rational mind whispered even as her feet carried her into the lot, all of her previous thoughts and worries wiped away.  
  
Standing there were two figures. One was tiny, a young girl with pale skin and even paler short hair that shimmered gold under the lights in the lot. She couldn't have been more than ten years old, if she was that, but she had a dark scowl on her face and was wearing a large black hoodie with loose blue jeans. What little girl wore an ensemble like that, especially these days? Especially during the summer! The kid was even sweating! Then the thing facing the girl registered to Angie. And it was a thing. Easily seven feet tall and bulging with muscles under mottled black and dark purple skin with stark black veins in places. It had claws on those dinner plate sized hands and the lower legs were more like those of a wolf or lion with draconic talons for feet. It had horns too, curving and black over a disgusting mess of black hair. Angie's heart seized in her chest as the thing growled at the little girl, who just glared back. She could practically feel the thing lunging at that kid and then she just...reacted.  
  
Angie Aimes had never considered herself a brave woman. She was a simple creature with simple joys and even simpler plans for her life, no matter what chaos was actually happening with her body right now. But in this moment her rebellious body had a purpose. These strange things that had been happening to her over the last few years actually meant something. She could help. She could keep that thing from hurting that little girl. So she didn't fight her body's response to run forward - making enough noise that the thing turned to face her and, oh God, it didn't have eyes, just sockets... - and thrust one hand outward when she was close enough. To most it would've looked like a weird, futile gesture, but then lightning arced from her palm and fingertips to slam into the thing's chest and head. The parking lot sang in those few seconds, lit up by the electric flow. Then the behemoth collapsed with smoke rising from his form, leaving Angie panting with her hand outstretched and the thought of 'What the hell was I thinking?!' going through her frazzled mind.  
  
"Nice job," sounded off from the side. Angie wasn't too proud to admit she jumped a foot, a cry escaping her as she whirled to face the little girl. Her voice was more mature than that of a small child, deeper; maybe she was older? But this close Angie could appreciate how short she really was; the girl barely stood to the older woman's shoulders! Angie's lips twitched at that thought as she looked over the girl for any injuries, lingering for a bit longer than neccessary over her eyes. Her right eye was a honey-hued brown and the left was a pale, icy blue. Angie shook herself, cursing the lingering effects of alcohol.  
  
"Are you alright?" she demanded then, taking a step forward and wobbling a little under the combination of adrenaline and waning drunkenness. The girl's lips curved in amusement.  
  
"Yeah, thanks. Good work with the electricity; they're weak against it," she replied, moving closer to the unconscious heap of weirdness. Angie skirted around it nervously.  
  
"What is it?" she asked as her nose wrinkled. It stank, that was for damn sure! Her eyes flicked back to the kid, who was examining it with a scarily detached expression.  
  
"A demon," she replied simply enough. Angie's heart leapt into her throat at those two words. A demon? A freaking demon! No! This was some Justice League-level shit right here! No!  
  
"Oh shit..." she breathed, eyes wide with horror as she lurched forward to grab the girl's arm. "C'mon, let's get the hell outta here and call the cops!" she yelped, trying to drag the girl away. The arm wrenched free with surprising ease and the girl glared at Angie.  
  
"The cops can't do shit about this," she hissed, her demeanor softening a little. "It's a demon," she reiterated, a little slower this time like that would help her new drunk friend understand. Angie was about to move for her again when the kid's hands began to glow white-hot; seriously, Angie could feel the heat from a few feet away, which was just great when combined with the heat and humidity that was already stifling Cedar Creek. Her throat clenched as fire erupted from those tiny hands, blasting into the demon like a flamethrower until there was nothing left. The smell of burning demon flesh was what finally sent Angie against the nearest building to empty her stomach. Eventually the 'fwoosh' sound faded. The smell lingered. Heavily.  
  
"You alright?" the kid asked. Angie wiped her mouth and tried to straighten, jumping when she realized how close the little girl was. And she was offering a bottle of water? Angie shakily accepted it, rinsing her mouth and spitting before taking a deep swig.  
  
"Thanks. I'm Angelica, by the way," she said as she swallowed, trying to keep her stomach under wraps.  
  
"Elissa," the kid replied.  
  
"Well, Elissa, what are you?" Angie asked then, forcing herself to straighten from the very uncomfortable brick wall under her back.  
  
"I'm the same as you, a metahuman," Elissa shrugged, hands in the pocket of her hoodie.  
  
"..." Angie really had no response to that. "Well ok then... Let's get you home," she shook her head and stumbled toward the alley a little, lingering when Elissa went back for something. She returned with a backpack and just walked right past Angie, headed for the sidewalk. "Wait up!" the older woman called, stumbling after her.  
  
"You sure you should be walking me home, Angelica?" Elissa asked without looking back, her voice obviously amused.  
  
"Call me Angie," the other made a face. The kid managed to make her full name sound mocking! "And yeah, I think so. I mean, I'm an adult and you're just a little kid... Why are you even out here by yourself, Elissa? Where do you live? Where are your parents?"  
  
"If we're going by nicknames, call me Ellie," the girl replied, ignoring the rest of Angie's questions.  
  
"Alright, Ellie, the other questions stand. Especially the 'where do you live' one," Angie huffed, finally coming to walk even with the kid, who was scowling.  
  
"St. Christopher's Home for Wayward Children," she replied easily, too easily. Angie's heart clenched painfully. So she was either an orphan or had been taken from her family. "It isn't far," Ellie added then, almost like she was trying to give Angie an out.  
  
"Then let's get going. What a night..." Angie sighed, absently ruffling Ellie's boyishly short hair. The kid growled and ducked out from under her hand.  
  
"This is every night; I'm used to it," she grumbled. Angie pretended not to hear. 

  
\---------------------------

It was a few silent blocks later that Angie found herself looking at Ellie's backpack. And nearly squeaked when she saw bright red button eyes staring back at her. There was a monkey plush hanging out of the pack; it had bright red buttons for eyes and the mouth...the mouth was curved into a demented smile that was filled with fangs!  
  
"Well that is a weird monkey..." she said, her voice a little higher-pitched than she liked. What was up with this night?! And this kid?!  
  
"His name is Flag," Ellie replied, glancing at Angie with twitching lips.  
  
"That's a weird name for a plushie," Angie frowned a little. The monkey's mouth began to move then, the buttons shifting into a glare.  
  
"Hey, toots, I ain't makin' fun of your name!" it snorted at her. The stuffed monkey. It spoke! Angie clapped her hands over her mouth to stifle a scream, leaping back from Ellie and dancing around like she'd spied a mouse or spider or something. Ellie began to laugh at the ridiculous sight.  
  
"Breathe, Angie!" she called to the elder. Angie did not stop, calm down, or breathe. Ellie shook her head, laughing a little more. "Really, Angie? You can handle a demon, but lose it at a talking plush monkey?"  
  
"Well yeah!" Angie screeched a little. Ellie shook her head again and took Angie's hand, mismatched eyes dancing with mischief and her lips curved in an amused smile. Angie probably should have been worried by that mischievous look, but she was still too drunk for self-preservation to make itself known.  
  
"Come on. I want to show you something," she said as she began to pull the elder into another parking lot, out of the sight of anyone that might drive or wander by. 

  


Once they were at the mouth of the lot, Ellie stopped and released Angie before taking the pack off and pulling Flag out to set him on the ground.  
  
"Show her," the girl commanded. The monkey huffed before hopping into the air and doing a weird somersault. There was a pop and, in a blink, Angie was looking at something...else.  
  
It was on all fours like a monkey, the arms wiry and strong with over-large and knobbly hands. The body was tiny and all covered with a soft-looking bright red fuzz; it was also wearing a black cloth diaper thing. The head was misshapen and had a huge nose, a gaping mouth of grinning fangs, eyes that were completely sulfuric yellow, and huge ears that were filled with black earrings of metal and stone. It had black horns as well, curved back over the ears, and no hair save the fuzz. Large black-feathered wings came from its back and it had a tail.  
  
"This is Flagerethon," Elissa said, motioning to the thing as it sat in a rather feline fashion, tail curling around its knuckles and feet. Angie felt a bit faint, stumbling back a step or two.  
  
"Holy shit... Yeah... I'm done," she shook her head. "This is just too much unreasonable shit... Peace out, have a great life... I gotta go," she croaked, turning to leave while her brain struggled to wrap around what she'd just seen.  
  
"Well that could'a gone better," Flag snorted behind her.  
  
"Yeah. Shut up, Flag," Elissa huffed. "Come on, buddy, back in the bag."  
  
"Do I gotta?" Was it pouting?  
  
"Yeah, you do. Can't have people seeing you."  
  
"Gah... How much longer do we gotta walk?"  
  
"A few blocks."  
  
"Fuck..." Then there was that pop sound and Angie groaned, her better nature winning out. She turned around and watched Elissa gently tucking Flag into the pack so that he could hang out of it like before.  
  
"Hold up, you guys," she sighed as she walked back. The kid was capable. She could light up anybody or anything that bothered them. But she was still a kid and Cedar Creek really wasn't the safest place. It wasn't exactly Gotham (yet), but it wasn't safe for either of them to be walking alone, even with their abilities. "I'm going to walk you the rest of the way."  
  
"Are you sure?" those mismatched eyes blinked up at her in disbelief. What, was she trying to scare Angie away with all this stuff?  
  
"Yeah, I'm sure," Angie huffed a little. "I said I'd walk you and I keep my word."  
  
"Well alright then..." Ellie shrugged as she straightened and shrugged on her pack. The two started to walk, again in silence, while Angie tried to figure out where she even was. Her mind began to wander and she remembered what Ellie had muttered a little while ago, while conveniently forgetting that she'd been pretending to not hear...  
  
"You said earlier that the demon thing was every night..." was her clever opener.  
  
"Yeah, why?" Ellie replied, one eyebrow lifting as she looked up at the other.  
  
"Just wondering why."  
  
"I'm looking for the guy that killed my family," she shrugged, shifting her pack uncomfortably.  
  
"Oh... Uh, you know revenge isn't the answer, right?" Angie frowned a little. Ellie scoffed and rolled her eyes.  
  
"I don't want to kill him! I want to turn him in to the police. They haven't been able to find him, so I'm trying," she huffed, shaking her head.  
  
"Oh, well, that's good..." Angie stammered a little. "So what is up with the demons anyway?"  
  
"Ever heard of a drug called Purgatory?" Ellie asked, looking up at her with a hard look in her mismatched eyes that was so unnatural in a child. Angie had, of course; she worked for the local newspaper.  
  
"Vaguely."  
  
"He was on it," the kid said. "Supposedly you have to hand over souls for more of it. With demons being the dealers, it isn't so far-fetched, right?"  
  
"Shit..." Angie breathed, rubbing her face a little. "Ellie, you really shouldn't be doing this!"  
  
"Nobody else will," Ellie replied with a flash of sorrow on her face. "We don't exactly have our own Batman or Flash."  
  
"Still! You're a kid, honey. A brave one, yes, but you still have so much... Just please stop?" Angie pleaded with this child that she hadn't even known an hour ago. But as her own eyes met Ellie's, she knew it wouldn't happen. There was so much determination there. So much anger. Elissa was clinging to this hunt with everything; probably thinking it was all she could do for her lost family. God, it hurt to think of. "You at least shouldn't be alone," Angie said at last.  
  
"There's nobody else," Ellie shook her head, her expression closing off a little.  
  
"...There's me?" Angie offered a little smile.  
  
"Really?" Ellie looked up at her, the disbelief open and her expression almost raw. There was even a little glimmer of hope that brought a bigger smile to Angie's face.  
  
"Yep!" she nodded. Was she really doing this? She was, wasn't she? She was going to die. She was going to die over a little girl she met while she was drunkenly stumbling home. Somehow that was fitting.  
  
"...No offense, but can you do other stuff? Y'know, more than the zapping thing?" Ellie asked, a little more of a bounce to her step as she stood a little straighter. Now she was walking more like a kid her age!  
  
"I can," Angie nodded instead of getting offended; being a human taser really wasn't that impressive by itself to a human flamethrower, she supposed. "It'll take me some time though. I need to practice," she added with a grin.  
  
"Sweet. How much time? Should we arrange a place and time to meet up?" Ellie demanded.  
  
"Breathe, kid!" Angie snorted. "Give me...a week? We can meet at that lot we met in...say 2 AM?" she shrugged.  
  
"Cool," Ellie nodded.  
  
"How old are you anyway?"  
  
"Twelve. I'll be thirteen in November," Ellie said proudly. Angie blinked at her. Almost thirteen? But she was so tiny... Angie shook herself.  
  
"And what's your name?" she asked. Ellie gave her a cheeky look.  
  
"We already covered that, Ange; it's Elissa," she replied with a smirk. Angie rolled her eyes.  
  
"Brat," she nudged the other lightly. "Your last name!"  
  
"MacKay," Ellie replied with a low laugh. "Elissa MacKay. What about yours?"  
  
"Angelica Aimes," Angie smiled, even giving a goofy little half-bow that made Ellie snort and roll her eyes.  
  
"You are so drunk, dude," the preteen shook her head.  
  
"Maybe a little...but after all tonight's unreasonable shit, I think I'm sobering up," Angie scoffed.  
  
"Good! Should I have Flag walk you home?" Ellie offered, slowing down in front of an alleyway. Angie slowed with her and eyed the monkey plush.  
  
"...Eh... I think I'll take my chances..."  
  
"You sure? He's not a terrible bodyguard," Ellie grinned as she stopped.  
  
"Nope, I'm good," Angie shook her head, looking up and realizing they were in front of St. Christopher's. "Looks like this is your stop, kiddo. I'll see you later," she smiled down at Ellie, who offered a smile back.  
  
"Can't wait," she replied cheerfully enough. Angie eyed her and sighed.  
  
"Think you can do me a favor?"  
  
"Depends on the favor..." Ellie gave her the side-eye.  
  
"Sidelines until we're ready to start doing this together?" Angie asked with a hopeful little smile. Ellie looked surprised, eyes casting downward as she chewed her lower lip. It was a long silence.  
  
"...Alright. But only for this week," she said at last, looking back up with a nod.  
  
"Awesome," Angie gave her a thumb's up. "Alright, get inside. I'll see you later," she smiled as she turned to go. Ellie waved and headed into the alleyway. 

  


And the whole walk to the airship station Angie couldn't shake the feeling that she was being followed and watched. It was explained when she spied a small red thing ducking behind a building. Flag was escorting her whether she wanted it or not apparently...  
  
One uneventful airship flight and a few blocks later she stumbled into her apartment and yawned. She wrote a quick note to look up Elissa MacKay - specifically why the name was familiar - and the Purgatory drug before flopping onto the couch and passing out for the night.  
  
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


	2. The Creepy Kid

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Further Disclaimer: I don't own Mel Brooks, Spaceballs, The Princess Bride, Dancing with the Stars, or anything outside of my characters and their home area.

The next morning Angelica woke up with a pounding headache and the distinct feeling that she'd messed up royally the night before. It wasn't a surprising feeling. She was freshly twenty-four. Royally messing up was part of the early twenties experience, or so her coworkers claimed all the time. She hated that feeling more than anything. Even more than the sluggishness that plagued her as she tried to climb off the couch with heavy, clumsy limbs and a hollow stomach. She groaned as she lurched upright and staggered into the kitchen for water, then to the bathroom for aspirin. Those were followed by a breakfast of toast with apple jelly before she finally sat in front of her computer and spied the note that 'drunk Angie' left for 'sober Angie.'  
  
"Research the creepy kid, huh?" she yawned. "Alright," she shrugged before powering on her machine and getting to work. It didn't take much effort at all before an article from her own employer - the Rivertown - came up.  
  
According to the article, just a few months earlier Elissa had woken up to screams in her family's townhouse. She'd gotten up and hidden under her bed for a few minutes before her older brother Max came in and drug her out from under the bed. He was covered in blood and carrying a bloody knife as he tried to kill his younger sister. Elissa claimed she'd been saved by a stranger that drove Max off and then ran off himself, probably to chase Max down. In the process of the fight, the townhouse had caught on fire. Elissa claimed to not know how and that she'd run out the back door when the fighting had started. The hunt for Max MacKay had started the next day.  
  
A few searches later and Angie saw the hunt for him going further and further on the cops' back burner as they found no leads on his location. As for the 'mysterious stranger' and the fire, Angie had some ideas of her own involving Flag and Elissa's pyrokinetic abilities. She sighed, rubbing her face, and took a break for a shower and a slightly more substantial breakfast of cereal. Then she plopped right back down and started searching for this mysterious drug called 'Purgatory.' She got a lot of results on the religious Purgatory before she finally found a few articles and some information on the drug itself.  
  
Purgatory was apparently taken in pill form. It sometimes caused the user's body to go into a sleep-like state while they vividly hallucinated. Other people were completely awake during the hallucinations and reported having extreme strength and claiming the ability to talk to demons and walk through fire and things like that. There was nothing on the negative effects or the long-term effects. Also, rather tactfully, no mention of the demon dealers or the fact that you literally had to kill to get another hit. The lack of information wasn't too surprising, though, since it was a newer drug. Angie was pretty sure she'd heard the first reports of it just two or three years ago while she'd been finishing up college.  
  
"Unreasonable shit..." Angie sighed into her hands, rubbing her eyes. Demons dealing drugs in exchange for souls. A family murdered for said drug. A metahuman preteen and a thing that looked not unlike a demon itself ('Note to self, Ange: Ask what the hell Flag is.') fighting through that quagmire. Her own recently developed metahuman abilities. "Good thing I don't believe in fate," she smirked to herself as she got up and dressed in something a little more public appropriate than her pajamas. She even managed to tame her short light brown hair into something not horrifically fluffy and frizzy, an effort that would be wasted after a few minutes in the inevitable humidity waiting for her outside. She settled in for a quick project before collecting the fruits of her labor and heading out the door. She took a quick glance in the full-length mirror hanging in the entrance of her apartment and nodded in satisfaction before continuing on her way. 

  


She took the airship again just because she could and because it had been surprisingly enjoyable last night. It being summertime and a weekend meant that there were a lot of people on it, just enjoying the novelty. She couldn't blame them; not many cities had airships and made them into a viable transportation option. One of the stories the Rivertown was working on right now was the possibility of the airships replacing the bus system in the future. Of course, some of the reporters also liked to speculate that one day the city would incorporate a monorail and move away from the streetcars, which would be a ridiculous move. They were managing to keep their streetcars, why would they switch up?  
  
The ride was shorter than a bus or streetcar, that was for sure. Angie smiled as she trotted down the stairs at the airship dock and headed down the sidewalk. It wasn't as hot today, but the humidity was brutal. Her hair had frizzed out, but she'd used an emergency headband she kept in her purse to push it back and had slid on sunglasses to hide the bags under her eyes from a night of ridiculousness. The walk was probably a long one for anybody not used to living in Cedar Creek, but it was nothing to her and she took a bracing breath as she stopped in front of St. Christopher's. This was very impulsive and she was nervous about it, but it just felt right. A show of support or solidarity maybe? She wasn't sure what it was. Just that she felt like Ellie would appreciate it. So she pushed her sunglasses up onto her head and walked into the building, blinking at the fluorescent lights and clinical appearance of the lobby. It looked like a doctor's office; there were chairs and tables with magazines, a TV hanging from the corner, between the door and a wall with a glass partition. So Angie walked up and knocked on the section that looked like it slid away, blinking rapidly at the older woman that she was faced with.  
"Um, hi?" she smiled awkwardly and waved. The woman gave her an amused look.  
  
"Hello, dear. How can I help you today?" she greeted her, standing up from her chair.  
  
"I'm here... Um, I came to visit one of the kids? Her name's Elissa MacKay?" Angie replied, not even sure if visits were allowed. If they weren't, she'd just wander around until she found Ellie and got her attention somehow...  
  
"Oh," the woman seemed surprised. "I didn't think Elissa had any family--"  
  
"Oh, no, no, I'm not related. I work for the Rivertown and just wanted to check on her... Not for work or anything! I'm not hounding her; I'm not a reporter... I sound so weird right now, don't I?" Angie sighed with a face-palm.  
  
"You really do. Hold on a minute," the woman said, shutting the partition. It reopened a minute later. "What's your name?"  
  
"Angelica Aimes," she replied. The partition slid shut again. It was a good ten minutes that Angie wandered the lobby before the door off to the side opened and Ellie blinked at her.  
  
"Hey, Angie. What are you doing here?" she greeted the other, more surprised than anything. Angie couldn't help a little smile at that.  
  
"I came to hang out with you for a little while," she replied. "I'm off work today so I figured since I had some spare time..." she shrugged. Ellie smiled at that.  
  
"Ok. Hang on a sec," she said before turning to someone out of sight. "Can we go out back?" she asked. Whatever the answer was must've been nonverbal, because there was silence before Ellie turned back to Angie and motioned her forward. "Come on!" 

  


The two of them walked out to the home's courtyard, which was just a small playground and a few picnic tables with a bunch of kids running around. Flag was sitting on one of the tables with a book and MP3 player beside him and Ellie made a beeline straight for him. Angie paused with a shudder before following. He was facing them as they sat at the table, so nobody else saw his mouth move when he greeted them.  
  
"Yo, Angie. How's it hangin'?" the plush grinned.  
  
"I was really hoping you were some kind of drunken hallucination," Angie replied drily.  
  
"No such luck, babe. I'm real as real can be," the monkey snickered.  
  
"What are you anyway?"  
  
"I'm an imp," he replied, snorting at her. Angie frowned at that. An imp? She looked to Ellie for that one.  
  
"Imps are a low-level devil class," the kid replied, her arms folding on the table and her cheek resting on them. She looked pretty miserable in the heat. Her pale face was a deep pink, her short hair was plastered to her head, and she was sweating heavily despite wearing only sandals, the shortest shorts she could probably get away with, and a grey camisole. Was it because of her power being fire-based? Did it increase her natural temperature or something? She was also a lot skinnier than Angie had initially thought.  
  
"Translation?" Her lips twitched when Ellie rolled her eyes and gave her a deadpan look. This kid took herself way too seriously.  
  
"Devils and demons are both the same thing and two completely different things," she said. "Hell isn't just an endless field of fire and black rock, either. It has a lot of different layers, aspects, and areas. Same with the things that come from there," she continued, taking on an almost lecturing tone. "Demons are the most common things. They like death, destruction, chaos, and all that stuff. They're not always the smartest things or the most clever. They're also usually pretty monstrous, like you saw last night. A lot of people know about demons because they're what usually interact with humans. Devils are different." She paused, probably to make sure Angie wouldn't freak out like she had last night. So many times. It was embarrassing in retrospect.  
  
"I think I'm following so far," she said. "And I'm not going to lose my shit any time soon."  
  
"Good," Ellie nodded. "Devils are different. They vary in what they look like from things like Flag to what could easily pass for a human and pretty much everything inbetween. They're the upper ranks of Hell, the true rulers. They don't typically bother with humans too much; they think mortals are beneath them. They usually don't even get too involved with demons and their plots unless it directly involves the devils. A lot of times the demons are actively seeking to overthrow the devils because they think their way is better... Anyway, sorry, I got off-track. Devils like order. They like law. They're clever and intelligent and they can damn you to Hell just as fast - if not faster - than a demon...but they do it by having you sign a legally binding contract and you usually think they did something to help you."  
  
"They're bureaucrats," Flag piped up, drawing a smile to Ellie's face.  
  
"Yeah, that," she laughed a little.  
  
"Wow," Angie shook her head as she took in the information. "How do you know so much about it, Ellie?" Angie frowned as she shifted to sit sideways on the bench and face the preteen.  
  
"Flag told me," Ellie replied with a little shrug. 'Why share so much though?' Angie kept the thought to herself and nodded.  
  
"Alright," she said in response. "Now that we covered all of that, we're going to move on to not depressing stuff, ok?"  
  
"Ok," Ellie chuckled.  
  
"Awesome. So what kind of stuff do you like? What do you like to do? When you aren't playing Inigo Montoya," Angie smiled. Ellie shrugged, but she was grinning at the reference.  
  
"I dunno... I like reading. I love movies and music. I like dancing," she replied.  
  
"What kind of dancing?" Angie's head tilted. "Ballet, tap, jazz?"  
  
"Ballroom," Ellie admitted with a shy little smile.  
  
"Really?" Angie grinned. "I never would've guessed that, but that's pretty cool! Any type you really like?"  
  
"Foxtrot and quickstep," she replied with a little chirp.  
  
"Nice. So do you like Dancing with the Stars?" Angie tilted her head.  
  
"Yeah!" Ellie laughed a little, nodding.  
  
"Me too! What about the Princess Bride?"  
  
"Of course! Who doesn't?!" she grinned.  
  
"Alright, kid, I like you so far," Angie grinned right back. "Ever watched anime?"  
  
"Some. My brother Nick was really into it and he started showing some to me... I really liked Bubblegum Crisis, Gundam Wing, and Sailor Moon," Ellie replied, her smile a touch sadder. Angie gave her shoulder a little squeeze and a smile.  
  
"Sounds like my kinda guy. I love all three of those," she said, drawing a bit more of a smile to Ellie's face. "Original Bubblegum Crisis or Tokyo 2040?"  
  
"2040," Ellie replied. "I liked the animation better."  
  
"Fair enough," Angie made a face before grinning. "I think we're going to get along just fine, Ellie."  
  
"Yeah, you'll do," the kid teased, smiling from where her head rested on her arms.  
  
"I'll do?!" Angie cried out in mock-outrage, drawing a laugh from Ellie and making herself laugh. "Ok, do you want to see what I can do?" she asked once their laughter died down. Ellie perked up and nodded. "'Kay. Fair warning: my power is really weird and I totally do not understand it. At all," Angie gave the disclaimer before she took the MP3 player by Flag.  
  
"You don't understand it?" Ellie blinked, turning to also sit sideways and face Angie, hands on the bench between her knees while she watched avidly.  
  
"Not a lick," Angie shook her head. "I'm not a techie at all...but my power is to create any kind of technology with just a thought. I can also control technology with just my thoughts," she explained. "I'm not really good at it yet, which is why I said I have to practice. I found out about it by accident and I don't really use it. Ever. Because I don't understand it."  
  
"That is awesome!" Ellie exclaimed, eyes wide and a grin curving her lips. "Show me! Show me!" she bounced. Angie snorted and cupped the MP3 player in both hands, concentrating on it. It disassembled itself into the base components and began to change. What came out was a black plastic orb-thing with a screen area on top and a few buttons. Angie pressed a few of the buttons and the music stored on it began to play while the name and artist of the song hovered over the orb in a hologram. "Huh?" Ellie's head tilted.  
  
"I made it into a holographic projector. If you put a video on it, it would play that too. But it only has music, so that's what you get," Angie shrugged. "I suppose I could... Hang on, I want to try something," she said as she turned it off before concentrating again. Nothing on the outside shifted, but after a few minutes Angie nodded and clicked through a few things on it before pressing play. The small projection came up again, but this time it was playing Spaceballs. Ellie let out a happy squeak and seized it, shifting to a slightly more comfortable position to actually watch the movie. Angie couldn't help laughing at that, retrieving it from her and turning it back into an MP3 player. Ellie groaned.  
  
"Aw! Why did you do that? It was Spaceballs!" she protested.  
  
"Yes, I know, Mel Brooks is fantastic, but we don't really want to draw attention," Angie shook her head as she tossed the player back to Ellie. She caught it with a low curse and set it down beside Flag, who actually appeared to be...napping? Did imps need sleep? "If you really want to watch Mel Brooks movies, maybe I could steal you for a day?" Angie suggested then with a little shrug of her shoulders. "Do they allow that?"  
  
"Um, I have no clue," Ellie shrugged as well. "Still kinda new to this stuff."  
  
"Fair enough," Angie nodded. "I'll ask before I leave today," she promised. Ellie nodded and stretched a little before glaring up at the sky and raking her hand through her sweaty hair, making it stick up in all directions. "It isn't that hot out, Ellie... Is this because of your power?" Angie asked, her head tilting a little with the question. Ellie nodded with a pout before sighing.  
  
"Ok! Your turn! What do you like? Other than anime, Mel Brooks, and Dancing with the Stars," she smiled.  
  
"Jeez, talk about putting a girl on the spot," Angie snorted before pretending to think. "I love to read. My dream is to be an editor with a publishing company, but I have to leave Cedar Creek for that and all the places I applied told me to get experience somewhere first," she made a face. "I love comedy movies and musicals and reality TV. I also really like cooking. I'm not so great at baking, but I love to cook. I'm also half a geek. I'm not into some stuff, like the RPGs or the card games, but I enjoy a lot of the TV shows and movies like Firefly and Star Wars and Star Trek," she smiled. Ellie was grinning.  
  
"Yeah, you'll do," she repeated with a nod, grinning at the elder, who pouted.  
  
"Quit saying that!" she laughed, making Ellie grin even more.  
  
"...Thanks for this, Angie," she said after a minute, her grin fading to just a smile. "This is the most fun I've had in months."  
  
"I'm glad you're enjoying it," Angie nodded, smiling as her heart melted. "Not gonna lie, this is the most fun I've had for a few months too."  
  
"Ugh, we get it, Ms. Universe!" Flag mocked from the side as he sat up, making kissing and gagging sounds just to rub it in. Angie rolled her eyes at him.  
  
"Shut up, jerk!" Ellie huffed, pouting at him. He flopped over to lay down again. "I should push you off the table," Ellie stuck her tongue out at him.  
  
"Do it!" he snickered. "I'd get up and run around!" he threatened. "These soulsacks don't even know!"  
  
"Don't know what? That you masquerade as a stuffed monkey? Bet that does wonders for your reputation back home," Angie snorted.  
  
"...Aw, go suck a DVD," Flag pouted, shifting around to not face them while grumbling about 'stupid soulsacks' and hating the mortal realm.  
  
"Ignore him. He's miserable," Ellie shook her head.  
  
"I can tell," Angie nodded. "Is it the heat or is he just a bitch?"  
  
"Definitely just a bitch," Ellie chirped with a little grin while Flag growled at them.  
  
"Fur is hot! Heat sucks, you heartless wenches!" he protested.  
  
"So hide under the table, Flag. There's shade down there!" Ellie threw her hands up. He perked as though just remembering that while Angie and Ellie very quickly looked to make sure nobody was watching and Ellie shoved him off of the table. He let out a loud 'oof!' and rolled under the table to hide from the sun.  
  
"Think he'll stop now?" Angie asked.  
  
"For a little while," Ellie shrugged, drawing her feet up onto the bench to sit in a loose lotus. "...You realize we need codenames right?" she said after a few minutes of them just being miserable in the oppressive humidity. Angie blinked and had to get her brain back on track then.  
  
"For fighting the demons and looking for Max?" she replied, realizing a second too late that she'd slipped. Oops...  
  
"..." Ellie stared at her, frowning slowly. "I never told you his name."  
  
"...No, you didn't," Angie sighed. "I recognized your name because I work at the Rivertown. I didn't remember why, so this morning I looked it up and found the articles. ...It is Max we're looking for, right?"  
  
"It is," Ellie confirmed. "But he doesn't deserve any name, much less my brother's name," she scowled, glaring off to the side.  
  
"...Little confused about that. He is your brother...?"  
  
"Yeah, he is," Ellie huffed. "Or was. It's... I don't claim him anymore, first of all, because killing our parents and brother for a drug kinda says a lot," she said, her voice cracking a little. She cleared her throat and took a moment. "Past that, it was the way he was acting before that and that night. He wasn't himself. He wasn't Max anymore. That drug made him into someone else. Something else." Her voice had gone softer and softer until the end, a tear escaping one eye and quickly being scrubbed away. Angie quickly took her hands.  
  
"I'm sorry, Ellie... I didn't mean to... I know this has to hurt and it wasn't that long ago and I really didn't mean to bring it up..."  
  
"It's cool, Angie," she shook her head, squeezing the other's hands before releasing them. "I've gotta learn to live with it sometime, right? It'll hurt forever, but I'm still alive and I have to keep going. They wouldn't want me to stop," she gave a sad smile.  
  
"...At the risk of either pissing you off or making you sadder, do you really think your parents or brother would condone what you're doing?" Angie asked softly.  
  
"Yes," she nodded. "I know Nick would. Nick would be doing the same thing if he'd been the one that survived. My parents... I'm not really sure," she shrugged. "I think my mom would get it. She might not like it, but she'd get it. She was a literature and mythology professor, so her whole life was absorbed by these epic stories and revenge is in them. So she'd get it," her lips twitched into a smile at the memories. "I don't think my dad would get it or approve. He was very family-oriented and really optimistic. Like, the kind of optimistic that would probably forgive Max for what he did because he wasn't in his right mind."  
  
"That's a little far," Angie frowned. "I get the mindset. I love my family more than anything and I like to see the good in people, but if my brother turned around and did that for that reason? I'd never be able to forgive him, right mind or not," she shook her head.  
  
"So you fall more on my side of the fence," Ellie's lips twitched as she rested her elbow on the table and propped her cheek up in her hand.  
  
"I guess so," Angie shrugged. "But I also don't think I'd go Kill Bill on my brother like you are."  
  
"...What's 'Kill Bill'?" Ellie blinked. Angie let out a choked sound and pouted.  
  
"I guess you were a little young for Tarantino when your folks were alive... We'll fix that...just maybe not immediately," she said.  
  
"Ok..." Ellie shrugged, still a little confused. "I'm guessing your point was that you wouldn't be hunting your brother down to hand him over?"  
  
"Something like that," Angie nodded. She was still convinced that Ellie's plan was to kill Max. Maybe the kid didn't know it yet herself, but it was in the detached way she spoke and thought of her brother. He was dead to her already. And if Ellie herself didn't off Max, Angie suspected Flag would.  
  
"...So where did our derailed train go?" Ellie asked then, lips twitching. Angie blinked.  
  
"What were we talking about?" she muttered. "Oh! You said we need codenames."  
  
"Yes! We do. I mean, I'm alone, but you have a family to protect. And even though I don't have family, I have this place," Ellie motioned to the courtyard and the home. Angie couldn't even think of any demons getting ahold of St. Christopher's without horror gripping her heart. And that was to say nothing of them getting ahold of her family!  
  
"Eek... Yeah, codenames are a must," she nodded rapidly, taking a few breaths. "Any suggestions?"  
  
"Hm..." Ellie's head tilted as she considered the other with a smile. "For you? Gremlin!" she nodded. "You know what gremlins are, right? Not the movie ones, but the actual ones?"  
  
"Aren't they the things that muck up planes and technology?" Angie asked with a puzzled expression.  
  
"Yep!"  
  
"...I can accept that," she nodded. It was fitting. She eyed Ellie, trying to think of a name for her new partner. Something to fit her powers.... Unbidden, the image of Ellie's hands erupting with flames leapt back to Angie's mind. Along with the scent memory of roasting demon flesh and the auditory memory of flesh and fat sizzling before black smoke had billowed out as the thing disintegrated into nothing. Her stomach churned and she swallowed hard. "...Immolation," she breathed out before taking a few deep, calming breaths. She cleared her throat and met Ellie's eyes. "Immolation," she repeated. Ellie's head tilted as she tried to place the word. Angie knew the moment it clicked, because the girl's eyes darkened and she probably remembered all the demons she'd immolated.  
  
"I'm a fan," Flag piped up. "'Death by burning.' It's intimidating. Sends a message anyone can get behind."  
  
"It is intimidating," Ellie agreed with a nod. "Immolation sounds good to me."  
  
"...Phrasing, guys," Angie face-palmed. "That sentence really sounded bad..." she chuckled despite herself. She was really acting against her good judgment, wasn't she? ...Oh well. Time to strap in and enjoy this rollercoaster. So she joined Ellie in chuckling over the terrible phrasing.  
  
"Alright, codenames chosen," the preteen grinned. "Now what?"  
  
"Umm... Battle of wits?" Angie shrugged.  
  
"To the pain?"  
  
"Life is pain, Highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something," Angie quoted automatically. Ellie blinked before face-palming with a choked snort. "...I never realized when I was younger how real that quote was."  
  
"Really is," Ellie nodded in agreement. "And I'm only twelve," she made a face. Angie ruffled her hair while Ellie swatted at her hand with sounds of discontent.  
  
"It'll get better."  
  
"Maybe."  
  
"You're a very cynical twelve-year-old," Angie shook her head. "I get why, I really do, but it's painful to watch. You be happy and smiling and playing with friends... Not overheating while doing a sloth impression at a beat-up picnic table of a foster group home...and discussing being a vigilante and hunting demons."  
  
"If only the world were perfect."  
  
"...I do have to ask something," Angie said then, resting her chin in her palm and looking at the kid.  
  
"If you must."  
  
"Oh I must, I must."  
  
"Go on," Ellie's lips twitched.  
  
"When you catch up with... He Who Shall Not Be Named... Are you going to greet him with 'Hello, my name is Elissa MacKay. You ki--'" Angie was stopped when Ellie punched her in the knee, both unable to help their laughter.  
  
"You jerk!!"  
  
"But will you?"  
  
"No!"  
  
"Missed opportunity," Angie shook her head, but she was pleased that she'd gotten the kid to laugh.  
  
"We're going to Hell, aren't we?" Ellie sighed after a little while.  
  
"No shit, Sherlock," Flag piped up from under the table.  
  
"The negativity is strong with that one," Angie snorted. "I don't think we'll go to Hell, kid. We're good people, we just have awful senses of humor."  
  
"That's putting it lightly," Ellie rolled her eyes. "So who's your favorite fictional character of all time?"  
  
"Challenging, me likey," Angie grinned. "Except that I already know. Ironically, it's Gizmo the Mogwai."  
  
"...You've gotta be messing with me," Ellie blinked at her, jaw dropping a little.  
  
"Nope! I've loved Gizmo since I was a kid," Angie smiled. "So I guess Gremlin is the perfect codename for me," she winked. Ellie laughed and shook her head. "What about yours?"  
  
"Right now? Inigo Montoya," she replied drily, drawing a snort from Angie. "Really it's Edmond Dantes," she smiled.  
  
"You read the Count of Monte Cristo?" Angie blinked.  
  
"I read it for the first time when I was ten. I've read it three times since then," Ellie nodded.  
  
"I am impressed, kiddo. I've known adults that couldn't get through it. I'm guessing it's your favorite book too?"  
  
"Of course," Ellie grinned. "Followed closely by Eyes of the Dragon. Stephen King."  
  
"Naturally. King is great," Angie nodded, pulling a notebook out of her purse and absently starting to sketch. Of course this caught Ellie's attention.  
  
"What are you doing?" she asked, shifting onto her knees on the bench and leaning on the table to peek.  
  
"Sketching some ideas for suits."  
  
"You like art?" the girl smiled down at the distracted adult. Angie nodded, continuing to sketch. "How long have you been drawing?"  
  
"Umm... My whole life really. I used to sketch out scenes from my favorite books for fun," Angie admitted, distracted by the ideas in her head.  
  
"Do you paint too or just draw?"  
  
"I've dabbled in painting here and there. I prefer sketching and photography. What about you? Any secret interests?" Angie smiled up at her for a moment. Ellie fell silent before shrugging a little.  
  
"I like sports and music. ...Before...everything... Max was going to teach me how to do free running," she replied. "I still want to learn." Angie looked up at her.  
  
"Free running... That's that parkour stuff, right?" her head tilted.  
  
"Not quite the same. Parkour is more streamlined. It's Point A to Point B as fast as you can. Free running has all the flips and twists and crazy stuff," Ellie smiled at her.  
  
"Sounds fun. Not sure I'd ever try it, because I'm far more likely to break myself...but it could be really cool to watch," Angie returned the smile. Ellie nodded enthusiastically and then peeked at the paper.  
  
"What have you got so far?!" she asked while Angie tried to shield the paper and stuck her tongue out at the girl.  
  
"Cut it out; I'll show you when it's closer to done!" she protested. "Keep talking," she said then, turning back to the paper. Ellie sighed heavily.  
  
"Umm... I like cats? I'm in the glee club at school... I dunno," she shrugged. "Stuff, things, talking."  
  
"Brat." She paused for a moment. "...You could probably find a group that could teach you parkour or free running. I know there are a lot of crazy teenagers that do it."  
  
"I know of a few groups. I'm just... I'm not ready," Ellie looked at her hands before looking up as Angie ruffled her hair.  
  
"When you are, go for it," she said, drawing a smile to Ellie's face. The girl hopped up from the table then before groaning and making a face as the heat hit her.  
  
"I'm going to get some water. I'll be back in a few minutes."  
  
"Ok. Take your time... Hey! Do you usually carry a bottle of water with you? It would probably be a good idea. Or do you just not dehydrate?"  
  
"Umm... No clue about the dehydration. But the water bottle is a good idea; last night was a fluke," Ellie gave her two thumbs up and headed inside. Angie shook her head and returned to sketching. After a few minutes she heard footsteps and smiled.  
  
"Welcome back, kiddo," she said as she turned...and found herself staring at an older woman with brown hair and a friendly smile. "Oh, sorry! I thought you were Elissa," she said as she stood up and offered a hand. "I'm Angelica Aimes."  
  
"A pleasure, Ms. Aimes," she shook Angie's hand firmly. "I'm Delia Aquila. I'm the counselor in charge of Elissa's case and I was told you're here. May I ask how you and Elissa know each other?"  
  
"Oh, ah, we met in passing --" What had her lie been?? "I work for the Rivertown and just wanted to come and check on her, make sure she's alright?"  
  
"You sound very sure of that," Delia smirked. Angie blushed.  
  
"Sorry," she smiled. "Want to sit down with me?" she offered, motioning to the table. Delia chuckled and sat across from Angie.  
  
"What's your job at the Rivertown?" she asked.  
  
"Oh, I'm the news editor," she smiled. Delia nodded with an 'ah' and gave her an odd look, but didn't question it.  
  
"I'm sure you're aware that we're very protective of the children."  
  
"Of course, ma'am," Angie nodded. Delia seemed a bit more relaxed at that.  
  
"I was watching you and Elissa together. You seem to get along very well. May I ask your intentions? Are you considering adopting or fostering her?"  
  
"...I can't," Angie shook her head. "I'm single and, last time I checked, the system still isn't too cool with that. And I'm still pretty young too."  
  
"Ah. Fair enough," Delia nodded. "Though you being single does surprise me. No boyfriend at all?" her smile was almost teasing.  
  
"Men aren't really my type," Angie's lips twitched in amusement, watching as Delia seemed to choke on her spit.  
  
"...Girlfriend?"  
  
"Also not my type." And there was the confusion.  
  
"I'm at a bit of a loss now," the older woman admitted, frowning a little. Angie chuckled and shook her head.  
  
"I'm asexual, Ms. Aquila."  
  
"What's 'asexual'?" Ellie piped up as she reclaimed her seat, a plastic cup of ice water in her hands. "I know what homosexual and bisexual are and I know asexual means not having a gender...but I don't think that's what you mean. Hi, Mrs. Aquila." Both Angie and Delia were staring at her with wide eyes.  
  
"Um... Well... Asexual means that I don't have a sexual attraction to anyone," Angie replied at last.  
  
"Oh. Cool," Ellie nodded, sipping her water. Delia's head tilted with an amused smile.  
  
"Alright, ladies, I think that's enough of a visit for today," she announced as she stood up. "Ms. Aimes, you're welcome to come and see Elissa whenever you wish, within the rules of the facility." Angie stood as well, offering her hand.  
  
"Thank you, ma'am. And please, call me Angie," she smiled.  
  
"Well then, Angie, I think it's only fair you call me Dee," the older woman replied before releasing Angie's hand. "Elissa, don't forget our session. I'll see you in my office in a few minutes?"  
  
"See you in a few minutes," Ellie confirmed as Delia left. Then she got up and retrieved Flag.  
  
"Damn shame about you bein' frigid. I wanted to smash that like brimstone fallin' on glass," the plush sighed while Ellie let out a frustrated sound and fake-gagged. Angie ignored him and packed up her notebook before retrieving the three items she'd made the night before.  
  
"I have something for you and Flag before I go."  
  
"Oh look, I'm not chopped liver!"  
  
"Oh?" Ellie blinked up at her. Angie handed over the cell phone-looking devices.  
  
"Communicators for us. Cool, right?" she grinned. Flag hopped down from Ellie's grip and fiddled with his.  
  
"Pantyshot!" he cackled right before his phone flashed. Up Angie's skirt. She yelped and kicked him while Ellie squawked.  
  
"Flag!" the girl hissed. "I should fry you for that!" Her eyes turned back to Angie. "I'm so sorry, Ange!"  
  
"It's ok," Angie shook her head, blushing brightly. She cleared her throat and held up hers. "Smile?" she requested with a little smile of her own. Ellie blinked before sighing and giving a little smirk.  
  
"Your turn," she said once her picture had been taken. Angie pulled a face and flashed a peace sign, making Ellie snicker. The two then managed a brief hug before Ellie grabbed Flag and her drink to head inside. Angie watched them go before heading out of the facility. That had been an eventful afternoon... And it was only when Angie was walking into her apartment with a bag of takeout that she remembered Delia saying she'd been watching the girls together. A flash of panic hit her. Had Delia seen Flag?!

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be a bit longer due to editing. Thank you for your patience!


	3. Into the Fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, I did what I needed to for editing. I think we're good now. :)

Angie didn't show up on Sunday afternoon, but she did message Ellie to let her know that she was skipping to work on some stuff. Nothing was said about Delia or Flag, so that gave Angie hope. She was there on Monday after work and Ellie was waiting for her in the lobby.  
  
"Well hello," Angie greeted the other in surprise. As usual, the kid was in a shorts and a camisole. She looked a bit more comfortable because the lobby was air conditioned, but a little too comfortable in her clothes in the air conditioned room. Ellie hopped up and picked up a water bottle as she walked over.  
  
"Hey!" she chirped in greeting.  
  
"Where's Flag?" Angie looked around with a little frown.  
  
"Sleeping. Let's go," she said, heading out the front door. Angie glanced back at the receptionist station before following.  
  
"Is this even allowed?" she hissed as they left the building.  
  
"I asked Mrs. Aquila when you said you were on your way. She said we can walk down to the ice cream parlor and hang out at the park if we want, but no further," Ellie replied, leading the way. Angie's lips twitched.  
  
"And she just expects you to behave?"  
  
"Yep. And I will. Mrs. Aquila knows things. She's scary," Ellie made a show of shuddering while Angie shook her head and laughed. Ellie looked at her then, head tilting. "You look nice in your work clothes...but aren't you hot?" Thankfully Angie had chosen a dress today and not slacks or a tighter skirt.  
  
"A little," Angie admitted. "But not as bad as it could've been. And thank you for the compliment," she smiled. Ellie shrugged it off and turned to walk backwards.  
  
"So what are we going to talk about today?" the preteen asked while Angie watched her, waiting for her to trip.  
  
"I got a little more information on Purgatory yesterday," she supplied, Ellie's head tilting in surprise.  
  
"How?"  
  
"Some coworkers' connections," she smiled.  
  
"Tell me!"  
  
"After we get ice cream," Angie replied, turning Ellie to face front gently and ushering her into the ice cream parlor. They each chose their treat (Angie opted for a bowl of rainbow sherbet, Ellie got a banana split), Angie insisted on paying, and they took their seats. Then Angie kept quiet just to make Ellie squirm.  
  
"Come oooon!" she protested after several minutes of silence, her companion snickering in response.  
  
"Alright, alright. Keep your britches on!" Angie smiled before sobering and taking out her notebook. "It isn't much, but it's a newer drug. It popped up two or three years ago. So far there are no known fatalities. The users do seem to just vanish off the grid after a year or so of use, but no bodies have been found yet. My earlier research netted that Purgatory is taken as a pill. It can then cause two different types of reactions in users. Some fall into a sleep-like comatose state, others vividly hallucinate and wander around while they do it. They report enhanced strength and the abilities to walk through fire and talk to demons. Pretty much stuff that gets brushed aside as crazy drug talk," she paused for another bite of sherbet. "That's what I've got. Your turn."  
  
"My turn for what?" Ellie blinked, poking at her ice cream a little before looking up at Angie.  
  
"Everything you know about demons."  
  
"...You sure you wanna know all that?"  
  
"Yes. I need to if I'm going to help you."  
  
"...Alright, but there isn't much more from what I told you on Saturday," Ellie nodded after a bit. "Demons mostly come from Hell, obviously. There are tons of different types and they all have different specialties. Some of them come from a place called the Outer Infernal Realms, which are ruled by devils. The demons from there are typically servants of the devils. They're weak against electricity."  
  
"That's all you have to add from Saturday?" Angie blinked.  
  
"Yeah. I gave you the rundown then of everything Flag has told me," Ellie shrugged.  
  
"Fair enough," Angie nodded.  
  
"So what do you do?"  
  
"Oh! I'm a news editor for the Rivertown," Angie replied.  
  
"Which means?" Ellie motioned for elaboration. Angie rolled her eyes with a smile.  
  
"It means that I look over everybody's work, assign stories to them, make sure everything fits and all that jazz."  
  
"Sounds cool," Ellie smiled. Angie managed a smile and a little shrug. "You don't like it, do you?"  
  
"Not really," Angie admitted. "I'd rather work for a publishing company as a literary editor, but nobody would hire me straight out of college. Since then I've just kind of... I dunno. I guess I've been stuck in a rut," she frowned.  
  
"That sucks," Ellie made a face. "What about friends and family?"  
  
"I don't really have any friends," Angie sighed. "I used to, but after college we drifted apart. All my girlfriends went on and got married and are having babies and everybody's just so busy and when they aren't I'm not feeling up to being around people and... My personal life has been a little lacking over the last year or two," she offered a weak smile. "My family's good though. My sister-in-law is pregnant and my older sister has been dating her boyfriend for a few years now; we're all hoping he'll propose soon."  
  
"When was the last time you saw them?" Ellie asked quietly, looking at her ice cream.  
  
"Memorial Day," Angie replied. "We went to my parents' house for Memorial Day. ...Are you alright to hear all that?"  
  
"Yeah," she nodded, looking up to reassure the other that she was fine. "To be honest, I'm just glad that you don't seem to take them for granted."  
  
"I did when I was a teenager, but I think all teens do that," Angie replied. "I like my family," she added with a shrug. "Alright, subject change!" she demanded then, drawing a soft laugh from Ellie.  
  
"Umm... What kind of stories are coming across your desk right now?" she asked. Angie blinked, but it was a subject change, so she'd take it.  
  
"Well... It's a lot of mundane stuff. But today I did get an article about the Shadow Risers. Do you know who they are?" she asked.  
  
"Nope!" Ellie shook her head.  
  
"They're a team of metahumans that started working in McElroy and Leona - and edged into Cedar Creek a few times - back in 1997. I was starting fifth grade and it prompted my teacher to talk to us about metahumans and vigilantes like them, Batman, Superman, and all the others--" Angie shook herself. "Sorry, thought train derailed!" Ellie laughed and Angie smiled as she resumed. "Originally the local cops and newspapers all thought that this group were a bunch of terrorists, because they were attacking local businesses and all kinds of weird stuff. The newspapers and cops in Leona and McElroy kept up that opinion over the years, even while they were saving civilians and stuff like that. Then, back in 2000, they brought down these two powerful metahumans with ties to the local mob. I was in eighth grade and my English teacher had us do a paper on metahumans and vigilantes. All the cops and newspapers in Cedar Creek, by that point, had changed their tune about the Shadow Risers. Most of the ones in their home turf did too, but some held out.  
  
"I think it was late 2000 or early 2001 when there was a huge battle in Leona between them and some alien race. A lot of buildings were demolished, people were hurt, all that. A few days later the Leona Police Department issued a statement to the newspapers that the Shadow Risers had, in fact, been fighting those aliens from the very beginning and were trying to prevent an invasion. That battle was the aliens' last stand and the few they managed to capture had confirmed that their people left Earth to avoid attracting the ire of the Justice League," Angie paused for more sherbet.  
  
"...And?" Ellie prompted.  
  
"And they vanished after that. For a little while there were rumors that they'd died in the battle, but then they popped back up. Never the full group, at least not that I've heard of, but they've been spotted here and there. Two of them were spotted in Greensburg for awhile and one is supposedly running around in Pittsburgh. Sometimes the others pop up in Leona, McElroy, or Pittsburgh or something...but not unless there's some kind of trouble. I haven't heard anything about them for a few years now though."  
  
"So they retired after the aliens left?"  
  
"That's the general consensus," Angie nodded. "I figure they did what they set out to do, so now they just help out here and there. That's what the article was about too. There have been a few metahuman villains popping up in Cedar Creek, Leona, and McElroy lately; the reporter was speculating over whether they're trying to draw the Shadow Risers back out, will the Shadow Risers fight them, et cetera. It isn't quite an opinion piece, because it's more reporting on the last couple of metahuman attacks and the fact that the Shadow Risers haven't popped up to fight them. He just can't resist adding his own two-cents here and there," she made a face to make Ellie giggle.  
  
"They sound pretty cool. I wish we could get ahold of them and ask them for advice," she sighed.  
  
"Me too, kiddo, but we don't exactly have a Bat Signal."  
  
"What would you even use as a signal to get their attention?"  
  
"My theory when I was a kid was that they were either college students or recent graduates, so I would've used a ramen noodle packet," Angie quipped. Ellie choked on her mouthful of ice cream as she laughed. "In all seriousness though, Ells, I don't think we're going to be able to get ahold of them unless we run into them by accident. They've been eluding the police for, like, nineteen years now."  
  
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Ellie sighed, coughing a little as she recovered from choking on ice cream. "OK! How are the suits coming along?"  
  
"Pretty good. I'm playing with a few designs," Angie shrugged. "Debating on what capabilities to give them. Stuff like that. We should be ready to go by 2 AM on Saturday."  
  
"Awesome! Can I see the designs?" Ellie asked, bouncing a little.  
  
"Nope," Angie smiled.  
  
"Aww, come on!" 

  


The week was done before they knew it. Angie stopped in every day after work, replacing her daily bar trip with her stop at St. Christopher's, and stayed for an hour or two before heading home and working on their suits. She was designing them more for protection than for the traditional vigilante/superhero costumery. Angie knew nothing about combat, for God's sake, and Ellie was just a little girl. Protective gear was necessary beyond measure with this. (Ellie also constantly tried to spy on her random sketching and notes when she was visiting. It was kind of annoying.) The duo found themselves getting along better and better as the week went on. It was kind of nice, even if it surprised Angie that she got along so well with a child. And the child's inappropriate winged baggage.  
  
At long last the seventh day arrived and the girls parted that afternoon with the agreement to meet that night at 2 AM in the lot where they'd first met...  
  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

  


Angie walked into the lot as quietly as she could, shuddering as she looked at the place where the demon had been barbequed. There was nothing there to show it a week later, but she still recognized that spot on sight. She glanced at her watch as she walked further into the lot. 2:01 AM. Right on time.  
  
"I was wondering if you'd be early or not," Ellie's voice came from the shadows nearby. Angie jumped about a foot with a cat-like screech, drawing giggles from the preteen. Brat. She huffed, a hand resting over her heart.  
  
"Ha ha. Funny," she deadpanned. "How long have you been here?"  
  
"...Fifteen or twenty minutes?" she replied with a little tilt of her head. "We were bored at the home."  
  
"'We'-- Wait, nevermind, stupid question," Angie shook her head. "I sometimes forget that you're a package deal with a feathered nuisance."  
  
"Like you could really forget me..." Flag snorted as he knuckle-walked his way out of the shadows in his true form. "And who you callin' a 'nuisance', toots?" he added with a scoff.  
  
"You," Angie chirped.  
  
"You hit me real deep, babe. Right where I should have a heart," the devil snorted while Angie glared at him.  
  
"Down, guys," Ellie chuckled. "So what have you got for us, Angie?" she asked then, bouncing on the balls of her feet a little.  
  
"I think you'll enjoy it," Angie smiled, taking two metallic cylinders out of her back pocket. One was a glossy maroon that had a fiery effect when it moved in the light, the other was a dark green-black. She tossed the maroon one to Ellie and then put the other on the back of her own neck. Angie had, of course, tested them both while at home to make any necessary adjustments. They worked beautifully. It was just still nerve-wracking to think of the fact that she was doing this. Not just the vigilante thing or the fighting demons thing...just the simple fact that she was really and truly using her powers. That she'd strengthened them over the week and had gotten a better grasp of them. Enough that she'd been able to 'program' the cylinders with specific styles for the suits. Before last week she would never have believed she could even make these suits!  
  
There was a soft hum when Angie's suit finished forming around her - a process that took only a few seconds - and she opened her eyes under the visor. It had different spectral views, which was pretty cool, and could even slide up into the helmet itself. The lens did so then and Angie smiled under the black respirator that covered her mouth. She started moving around, testing it to make sure the armor was as stable and flexible as it had been earlier. So far, so good. She looked over at Ellie then, only to find the girl staring at her with wide eyes and a huge grin. Even Flag looked a little impressed.  
  
"This is the coolest thing ever, Angie!" she laughed, bouncing a little on her feet. Angie smirked as she faced Ellie, resting her hands on her hips.  
  
"Maybe not ever, but pretty cool," Flag nodded.  
  
"Not Angie. Gremlin," she corrected the other, the respirator's voice modulator working beautifully, all of which just made Ellie's grin widen. The other then began to circle her like a vulture, brushing her hands over the armor here and there, poking at it in places, and generally checking it out.  
  
"Why isn't the respirator attached to the rest?" she asked.  
  
"I figured it was unnecessary to start out with them connected and it made me claustrophobic. If it detects anything in the air that could cause problems, it'll extend and connect to the rest of the helmet," she shrugged in response, folding her arms over her chest. "Put yours on!"  
  
"What's this stuff made of?" Ellie asked, doing another circle around her.  
  
"Not sure. The cylinder is full of nanobots and I just gave them a list of criteria. They built the suits based on that. Now put yours on!"  
  
"What happens to our clothes?" the preteen blinked up at her.  
  
"Huh?" Angie blinked. "Oh! You just end up wearing it under the suit... I'm working on something for that."  
  
"Oh, ok," Ellie nodded before putting the cylinder on the back of her neck like Angie had with hers.  
  
"I can't decide if you're a genius or an idiot," Flag rolled his eyes. Angie chose to ignore him this time.  
  
The nanobots flooded out and covered her in a black wave before receding just as quickly as they'd appeared. When they were gone, Angie took a few moments to admire her handiwork. The suit was dark maroon with gold accents and seemed to flash with fire when Ellie shifted. ('Good work, nanobots; very nice matching it with her power!') The elbows and knees were padded and her fingers were covered, her palms uncovered. Much like Angie's, the suit went up into a respirator that covered her and altered her voice. She also had a visor with the different types of views, but hers didn't have a helmet and could be pushed up on her head. Then her eyes drifted downward again and she stopped. Wait...  
  
"What is that?!" Angie demanded, pointing at her suit. "Why do you have a boob window?! I told it to give you more ventilation! I did not say to give the twelve-year-old a boob window! It didn't have that when I tested yours!" she protested. She'd told the nanobots that Ellie got overheated because of her powers and the suit needed vents. It had vents on her sides, thighs, and calves. But now there was also an oval cut out over Ellie's bust that had not been there when Angie had tested it! And her arms were uncovered from her shoulders to almost her elbows! Ellie just shrugged at her reaction.  
  
"The bots probably took my temperature and decided I needed more ventilation than it had already given me...or they thought I needed more breathing room for my boobs...since they're bigger than yours," Ellie retorted cheekily. At least her voice modulator was working perfectly. Angie squawked in protest at that comment though. The kid wasn't wrong, but still! Flag was, of course, cackling gleefully at this exchange.  
  
"The fact remains that you're too young for a boob window, Ellie!"  
  
"Immolation. And too bad! I'm keeping it!" she replied in a mocking, sing-song voice.  
  
"Elissa!" Angie huffed.  
  
"Seriously, Angie, my body temperature is ridiculous and this feels pretty awesome. I don't feel stifled," Ellie said, all humor gone from her voice as she began to walk around and test out her suit. Thankfully it appeared to be working just fine. Ellie carefully pushed up her visor then, nodding in satisfaction when it slid up onto her forehead like a pair of goggles. "Maybe you should make it so they can go clear for our sight, but stay colored on the outside, like one-way glass?"  
  
"That's one of the things I'm working on," Angie admitted with a little smile. "Mostly because your eyes are pretty distinct."  
  
"Ugh. Story of my life," Ellie made a face as she slid the visor back down. "So what else can these things do?"  
  
"They monitor your body and let you know if you're out of whack. They can fly. They're fireproof, of course. They can interface with our communicators... I think that's it for now? I might do more later," Angie smiled. "Oh! And they're self-repairing because of the nanobots."  
  
"Sweet... Feel like taking them for a test run?" Ellie bounced.  
  
"We kinda have to, honey," Angie grinned. "We have to learn how to control the flight systems."  
  
"Yes!" Ellie pumped a fist into the air. "How does it work?!"  
  
"Mostly off of brainwaves," Angie laughed. "It's intuitive. You just think about wanting to fly..." she paused to concentrate and felt her feet leaving the ground. "And ta-da!" she smiled as the lens of her visor slid back into place. Ellie stared up at her, probably wide-eyed under the fiery lens of her visor. Then she looked down for a few moments before slowly hovering upward, shaking and teetering more than a little. Angie snickered at the sight.  
  
"Cut it out!" Ellie protested, laughing a little herself.  
  
"Feet together. Think mermaid. Think Superman," Angie coached her. Ellie promptly flipped over in the air as she began to laugh.  
  
"Thanks, Ange! Now I can't get the mental image of mermaid-Superman out of my head!" she giggled maniacally. Then she wiggled her legs in the air to emulate a mermaid and yelped as the motion sent her in a weird zigzag pattern going upward. Angie snorted at the sight.  
  
"Wow, kid... We've got some work to do," she grinned. "Like this..." she said, proceeding to show Ellie how she moved around. Admittedly she'd been practicing with the flight system over the week to ensure it was working properly. Also because she knew this was coming and one of them had to have a clue! Ellie followed her instructions carefully. She only flipped herself over two more times and finally started to get the hang of it.  
  
"I think I'm ready for more," she smiled then. "Come on, Flag!" she called down. The imp sighed, but flapped up to be level with them.  
  
"I'd rather go home and sleep..." he muttered.  
  
"This way," Angie said, heading off into the city with the two following. 

  


The three of them headed to Cohen, a neighborhood that was largely residential and had a lot of apartment buildings. It varied from being a nicer place on one end to being a ghetto on the other. It was that end they headed for. Along the way they tested the flight systems and did various aerial stunts. Between that, Angie talked.  
  
"I was able to talk to some of my coworkers about Purgatory and got some information. A lot of the traffic is here in Cohen. It seems to specifically be around State Street, Garwick Lane, and Pennsylvania Ave. Which means?" she glanced at Ellie and Flag.  
  
"They're somewhere in that area," Ellie replied dryly. "Obviously."  
  
"Or at least deal from there. There might be somewhere else with even higher traffic that just doesn't hit the radar," Angie pointed out as they landed on a roof. The street below was surprisingly full for 3 AM on a Saturday. The bars were probably closing down, but there were a lot of people down there stumbling around.  
  
"You don't think they're all...?" Ellie frowned, looking up at her.  
  
"On Purgatory? No, kiddo," she shook her head. On other stuff, oh yes. But not all of them were on Purgatory. She bit her lip under the respirator and changed her visor's sensor to search for people whose vitals matched those sleeping. "Got a few," she said as her HUD singled them out.  
  
"Alright, let's go," Ellie nodded as she straightened her shoulders. Angie took a deep breath and swallowed hard, but floated off the roof and led the way after the sleepwalkers for the two blocks they shuffled before heading, one by one, into a building that looked condemned. Angie landed on the roof across the street and clenched her shaking hands into fists.  
  
"You alright, Gremlin?" Ellie - no, Immolation - asked her. She looked up and shook her head.  
  
"No. I'm terrified. I don't know how to fight. All I can do is zap things," she replied.  
  
"Zap things and make awesome tech out of practically nothing," Immolation pointed out, her voice firm. "So make yourself a few ray guns or something and you're set."  
"You really are a brave kid," Gremlin shook her head, rising on unsteady feet.  
  
"Courage isn't the absence of fear. It's acknowledging that something is more important than fear. Or something like that," she said, her mask slipping as Ellie peeked back out at them. "Close enough, right?" she audibly smirked.  
  
"Right!" Angie laughed.  
  
"You're a credit to your generation, Snowflake," Flag shook his head. "You gonna get this done or what? My show's on in an hour."  
  
"Yeah, we are, but we have to make a plan first," Angie said as she pushed down her fears and tried to pull up an impassive mask.  
  
"Plans," Flag scoffed a little. "Who makes plans these days? Go in guns blazin'! What's the worst that can happen?" he waved a hand dismissively while Angie's eyelid twitched.  
  
"Sneak in from the roof and have us a demon barbeque?" Immolation offered with a faux-innocent tone, ignoring Flag with an ease that could only be born of practice.  
"Oh yeah, ignore the sensible advice!" he scowled.  
  
"...Or we can get a rough layout of the building and how many things are in there, then weave through the people on the Purg to get straight to the demons and question them on The Guy's whereabouts," Gremlin retorted, putting special emphasis on 'The Guy' since Ellie would pitch a fit if she used his name.  
  
"And how do we get that done?" Immolation asked, her head tilting a little. Gremlin smirked under the respirator. Nanobots flew out of the cylinder on the back of her neck, going around and into the building undetected. "...Really?"  
  
"I might not know a damn thing about real technology, but my imagination is strong and it just seems to be my desires that fuel my power," Gremlin shrugged.  
  
"Very nice," the younger grinned. Gremlin looked at the building as information came from the bots to her visor. After a few moments she was able to connect her HUD to Immolation's and share the information.  
  
"There we go!" she nodded in satisfaction as they both got a livestream of the bots' discoveries.  
  
"That's a lot of demons," Immolation sighed. "Questioning them all is gonna take forever..."  
  
"Start by slowly cutting the tail off, inch by inch; they hate that," Flag suggested.  
  
"We only have to question the bosses," Gremlin shrugged. "Let's go!" she said as she hovered off the roof.  
  
"Alright, have fun stormin' the castle, kids! I'll wait for ya right here," Flag said, making himself comfortable.  
  
"Really?" Gremlin scowled.  
  
"Yep! I'm the cavalry," he grinned. She rolled her eyes and waited for Immolation to join her before they headed for the back of the building. "...Well, time to refresh my resume. They're gonna die." 

  


It was dark inside and the floor was covered with the bodies of those that slept through their hallucinations. A few sleepwalkers were wandering. Gremlin kept above the ground and Immolation followed suit, both staying silent for the time being. The first and second floors were just users and nobody bothered them. It was on the third floor that a sleepwalker saw them and babbled something incoherent before leaping forward. Gremlin choked, reaching for a weapon she hadn't made yet. Immolation pulled her out of the way and moved past her, one hand outstretched. For a horrifying second Gremlin waited for the eruption of flames, but it never came. Instead her palm glowed and there was a flash of brilliant light that made her visor go staticky for a moment, along with a wave of heat that she felt from behind Immolation and through her armor. The sleepwalker choked and sobbed and staggered off, rubbing his eyes.  
  
"What was that?" Gremlin demanded quietly, pulling Immolation around to face her. Her young partner shook her head.  
  
"I don't really know... I just...didn't want to hurt him badly. So it was...light and heat instead of fire?" her head tilted in confusion. Gremlin let out a faint 'huh' and shook her head.  
  
"Either way, good work. Let's go," she said. They continued on and found the first dealer in a room at the end of the hall, near the stairs. He was hulking with spikes and armor that looked to be made out of his flesh. His face was a canine maw of fangs and he had four arms; the two big ones had pincers while two coming from the chest were humanoid. His horns were black and straight, tilted just slightly back from his head. His full red eyes caught sight of them quickly and he rose from his seat with a snarling chuckle, almost twice the height of both girls; easily three times their width.  
  
"You ladies must be the troublemakers," he growled. Immolation gulped. "Don't worry. This'll be nice, quick, and messy..." he sneered. Immolation went rocketing upward into the ceiling with a sharp crack that made Gremlin's stomach churn. She plummeted to the floor seconds later.  
  
"Ell-- Immolation!" she choked out before letting out an 'oof!' as she was backhanded into a wall. "Ow..." she hissed, gripping the exposed pipes to pull herself up. 'Wait...exposed pipes...' "Immolation!" she called again, watching the demon approach her slowly. The prick was enjoying this...  
  
"Still alive..." the kid replied weakly. The demon stopped with a growl, half-turning to look at the girl.  
  
"Think you can distract him for a minute?" Gremlin asked, hating herself for it as she did. Ellie was hurt, probably badly!  
  
"Yeah. Give me a sec..." she coughed before fire erupted from the vents on her suit and then seemed to get suddenly sucked back in. There were a few muted cracks and pops, the entire display distracting Gremlin. Then Immolation picked herself up and faced the demon. "Let's go, bitch," she sneered, lobbing a fireball at his face. He snarled and dodged, darting in toward her. Gremlin shook herself and turned to her task. She needed a weapon, more than her electricity... Why had she come in unprepared?! She used the metal of the pipes for her task, trying to ignore the sounds of combat behind her.  
  
"A-ha!" she cheered triumphantly as she lurched upward with her prize, a rather small pistol-looking thing. She ached more than she thought she would, but hovering forward made it more bearable.  
  
"You ready yet?" Immolation demanded, sounding a bit winded as she lit the room up with a brilliant flash to distract (and hopefully blind) the demon.  
  
"Yes!" Gremlin grinned, gripping the gun and pouring electricity into it while she tracked the demon, using the visor to help with her aim. Immolation ducked out of the way of a blow and Gremlin pulled the trigger. The 'gun' amplified the electricity she'd poured in as it erupted from the small invention, engulfing the demon and disintegrating him. "...Damn it," Gremlin huffed as the light show faded and she saw the gun's handiwork.  
  
"Necessary. Pretty sure he was above our pay-grade," Immolation replied, rising from where she'd ducked and covered on the floor. "Let's see if there are any left or if they ran away."  
  
"I'll go first this time," Gremlin said, heading up the stairs. It didn't take them long to find out that the other demons had fled. "Like rats leaving a sinking ship," Gremlin huffed when they found out. The two of them joined Flag back at the roof and Ellie motioned for Angie to sit down.  
  
"What the shit? You survived?" the devil shook his head, moving closer to watch. "Guess those guys weren't that tough!"  
  
"Here, I'll heal you," she said.  
  
"You can do that?" Angie asked in disbelief.  
  
"Yeah. It's...weird though," she replied as fire engulfed her hands, then was absorbed back in so that her hands glowed. She pressed them to Angie's cheeks and heat coursed through Angie's body. It was painful and she had to grit her teeth to not scream, but when Ellie pulled her hands back, the pain vanished and took all of her previous pain with it.  
  
"Ok, yeah, that is weird," she managed after a little while, standing up and stretching a little.  
  
"Only if weird means 'agonizing' right, toots?" Flag grinned.  
  
"Told you," Ellie snorted, ignoring Flag yet again. "Ready to go?" she asked.  
  
"Yep. I'll call the police on the way," she replied.  
  
"Finally you wenches talk sense! Bedtime!" Flag cheered. They both took off into the night with Flag on their tails while Angie called in the drug den to the cops.  
  
They flew straight to St. Christopher's and Angie explained how to remove the armor. After a few failures, Ellie managed to get it off and headed up into the building with Flag, smiling brightly at her friend.  
  
"I'll see you tomorrow," Angie waved to her before flying off to her apartment and stumbling into the shower before bed. She'd work on an undersuit or something for them in the morning...

  



	4. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got inspired enough to write the epilogue. Here it is. Enjoy your glimpse into the deeper background of these characters! ;)

The basement was dark and cold despite the furnace being only feet away. The figure gave it no mind as it slid forward and came to a stop right in front of a full-length mirror trimmed in black metal. The glass of the mirror reflected the person before it and then the image began to distort into something wicked before black ice appeared on the other side of the glass, coating it and making strange things happen with the light. 

"Master..." the figure growled. The thing's voice was neither male nor female; it had touches of both genders. 

"Baeg," a rumbling male voice came from the ice. "I trust you will have a good report this time." 

"Relatively, my lord," the thing replied. "The girl has made a friend. Unfortunately that is the extent of the good news." 

"Oh? Please elaborate..." he rumbled dangerously. 

"Well, my lord, it seems that her new friends is a metahuman. The two of them have decided to become vigilante heroes. And that moron Flagerethon is doing nothing to stem such a dangerous pastime!" Baeg scowled. 

"Oh my..." the voice chuckled. 

"Sire, I do not understand why you still allow Flagerethon to live, much less care for your last descendant on Earth! He is responsible for the loss of your mortal bloodline! If he had just done his job--" 

"Silence, Baeg," the voice commanded. "I am aware of Flagerethon's transgressions. I have chosen to give him another chance. He is aware of the consequences for failure this time. That is all I will say or have said on the matter. Understood?" 

"Of course, my prince. Your will be done," Baeg bowed. 

"Good. How goes the cover?" 

"Quite well, my prince," Baeg nodded. "The humans suspect nothing. The little princess and her friend are also unaware of the true nature of this place. Humanity remains very susceptible to suggestion." 

"Excellent. Stay the course. Find a suitable home for the girl or see to it that she is raised properly and successful. Most important is, of course, her safety. Even at the cost of her happiness." 

"As you command, Prince Senael. The girl will be kept safe," Baeg bowed again. 

"Very good. I will expect another report in three months' time. Do keep an eye on her vigilante activities. I want to know how it goes," the voice chuckled. 

"Yes sir," Baeg replied. The ice receded and Baeg's form in the mirror shifted to that of a human woman. She adjusted her hair before stepping back and heading upstairs. 

"Mrs. Aquila!" Elissa MacKay called as she spotted the woman, looking thoroughly miserable in the summer heat. "Angie's on her way. Can we go out for ice cream again?" 

"Of course, dear. Just have Angie check in with me when she gets here, alright?" Delia Aquila smiled, patting the girl's shoulder before heading into her office. Baeg was growing rather fond of this guise and of her lord's descendant...

**Author's Note:**

> And that is part one. I hope you enjoyed. Please R&R!


End file.
